Artists:  Michelle Vine and Jeanette Stok

Logan Art Gallery, Logan

21 June – 27 July, 2019

Artist Statement: For the last twenty years, I have worked as a scientist in different laboratories throughout the world. I’ve conducted research in biochemistry and chemistry looking specifically at how different enzymes work. But not many people know what I actually do every day and how I perform my experiments; being a scientist means my physical actions and movements are hidden from the rest of the society. As an artist, I am interested in observing and responding to how scientists work in their laboratories and revealing this unseen world. I employ drawing techniques to depict these scientists in action and uncover the process of science. This approach highlights the precision, repetition and rhythm of scientific movement in the laboratory. 

Although art and science are often perceived as incompatible, one area where they do meet is via observation. Both scientists and artists invest time in observing the world around them and recording these observations in various ways. Traditional drawing relies on the artist carefully translating what they see to the page, while scientists record different details like measurements or chemical compositions. I integrate both these perspectives to create a new way of seeing. Patterns of scientific movement are translated into layered drawings or prints that reflect the systematic way scientists think and work. Using this combination of art/science methodologies, a distinct perspective on the physical actions of scientific discovery is produced. 

Art work included:

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Isolate, 2019, Pigment pen on Kozuke rice paper, each drawing 937 x 127mm. Individual drawings: Louise, Gary, Ava, Lauren, James, Matt, Bella, Zena

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Eight-hour drawing, 2016, Pen on chart paper, chart recorder and single channel video (11.22 min), dimensions variable.

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The Secchi Drawings, 2016, Charcoal on tracing paper, acrylic and rope, dimensions variable.

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Replicate: Louise, 2019, Unique relief print on rice paper, 5000 x 228 mm.

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Extract: Lauren, 2019, Single channel video (11.01 min), hand-drawn animation (4.17 min), aluminium and acrylic benches, 790 x 570 x 880 mm.

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Michelle, 2019, Drawing performance, Single channel video (23.30 min), charcoal on paper, each drawing 560 x 560 mm.

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Bella, 2019, Paint pen, drawn directly on glass door.